Together for Respiratory Research

January 15 to 21^st is National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) in Canada and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight the efforts of researchers, here and around the world, to deepen our knowledge on the health effects of smoke. Their work builds the scientific evidence to guide today’s and tomorrow’s decisions on the use of tobacco and tobacco-related products.  At SCIREQ, we understand respiratory research and take pride in assisting researchers in their task by providing precision laboratory instruments that enable them to achieve their scientific goals.

We believe that together we can make a difference.  

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flexiVent featured in recent Nature publication

Congratulations to Dr. Ravichandran’s¹ team at the University of Virginia, who recently published in Nature!

Their publication found that during phagocytosis, macrophages release insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and microvesicles. Once bound to its receptor, IGF-1 promotes uptake of these microvesicles by the epithelial cells, leading to a decreased inflammatory response. This was verified through classic airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) markers including increased eosinophils in the BAL fluid and increased airway resistance after methacholine challenges.

In vivo AHR was assessed using the flexiVent to both deliver aerosol challenges to the subject’s lungs and follow the developing bronchoconstriction through automated data collection. The data generated can be further partitioned to describe the contribution from the central airways and tissues, which often offers additional insight into the mechanisms and disease.

To learn more and read the full publication, visit Nature’s website at

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7630/full/nature20141.html

To learn more about the flexiVent and how it may provide insight into inflammatory diseases or other applications, please contact [email protected]

References

¹Ravichandran KS et al. Macrophages redirect phagocytosis by non-professional phagocytes and influence inflammation. Nature. 2016 Nov 24;539(7630):570-574. doi: 10.1038/nature20141. Epub 2016 Nov 7.